WASHINGTON — A convicted sex offender received 33 months in prison Friday for making online threats against Howard University in 2015.
Back in March, John Edgar Rust, 27, of Alexandria pleaded guilty in federal district court to posting the chat board threats. He had been on probation and barred from using the internet at the time the racist, profane threats were made.
On the night of Nov. 11, 2015, prosecutors said, Rust entered a restaurant in Alexandria and connected his laptop and phone to a Wi-Fi connection, which he used to post a threat to kill black people the next day at Howard. He posted a statement on another online board minutes later under the user name “watchouthoward” and linked to the first post.
Judge Liam O’Grady of Virginia’s Eastern District found that it constituted a hate crime, and ordered Rust to pay $6,458.28 in restitution to the university for expenses incurred as a result of the threats.
In 2012, Rust was convicted of indecent liberties with a child by a custodian and aggravated sexual battery.
